Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-11-22
She read it aloud to Mary, who was de

She read it aloud to Mary, who was de
lighted and grateful.
..Jack will be pleased, she said. 'But, oh,
Miss Denzil, how pretty that was about the
meadows. / never noticed or knew how
pretty it all looked till you read apout it"
"Be more observant. them" said her
teacher, land you will find subjects for your
next letter Now we will try writing"
But the lesson sorely taxed the young 1ady's
patience Mary's stiff fingers and awkward
position seemed unconquerable, and her at
tempts at copying were dreadful. But Miss
Denzil persevered, and submitted to the
drudgery of the lessons with the greatest
good humor, though she saw that the pros
pect of being relieved from her self imposed
duties of amanuensis was very distant indeed.
By and by the answer to the letter came,
and Mary took it to Miss Denzil to be read to
her. The young lady gazed with extreme
surprise at an admirable specimen of excel
lent penmanship Jack" was evidently well
educated. And as she read the simple, manly,
but well expressed letter her establishment
increased. Jack first assured his love of his
perfect health-indeed the epistie began
nearly in her own words-and then went on
to tell her of his love and constancy
"Who," he wrote, would not love such a
pretty village maiden, who knows, too, how
to appreciate the sweet fresh loveliness of our
own dear land, and who car draw such
charming word picture of it."
And then he lin turn gave an animated
picture Of Indian hfe-of the hot, glaring
day; of the noisy night, disturbei by the
cries Of jackals, the tom-toming of natives IN
the near village, the hiss of snakes, the
strange snoring of an insect; all 50 well de
scribed that the young lady Was nearly as
much interested as the village girl.
MARY" she said, as she finished reading
the letter, "your Jack is a very clever young
fellow-too clever to be private. We must
buy his discharge and get him back for you p"
Mary flushed crimson, and was about to
speak, but checked herself, and then thanked
Miss Denzil earnestly but awkwardly, while
the latter returned the letter with a secret
pity for the man who, though he might be of
the girls station, was mentally SO immeasur-
ably above her.
This correspondence went on with great
regularity for some months, one mail only be-
ing missed, during the London season.
And then came the Afghan treachery and
war, and the private's letters grew more and
| more animated as he described to Mary the
| exciting scenes through which he was
| passing; his words were as spirit stirring
| as trumpet call, and Miss Denzil
| wondered more and more at this astonishing
private She looked forward as eagerly as
| Mary for his letters, and her own took more
! of a natural tone when she answered him.
| She wondered herself sometimes at the new
| interest her office as amanuensis threw into
| her life.
| At last, however, came Sir Frederick
| Roberts wonderful march from Cabul 70
| Candahar and then, after a long interval, in
which both girls were really anxious for
Jack Parker's safety, there came another let
ter. But what did it meant
| It was badly scrawled, i'll spelt missive
and signed thus: John Parker X his mark
why, Mary, what does it nleang' ques
toned her astonshed amanuensis.
Mary began to cry.
| "Oh, please, forgive me, ma'am," she
sobbed, "for letting you think that Jack wa!
such good scholar. But you said-you sale
that Jack WAS too clever to be a private
and that you must buy his discharge becaus
he wrote such good letters; and 50 l wa
afraid, if l told you he could not write,
should be running poor Jack"
''But to whom, then, have been writing
asked Miss Danzil, flushing.
why to Jack, lam, Of course, > was tn
surprised reply.
'Who wrote for Jack, them asked Mis-
Denzil impatiently.
His captain, ma'am-Capt. Owen. Jack
his servant, and he's very fond of him, an
he's written for Jack ever since they lande
in India Jack said in his very first lette
| that 1t was the captain that was so kind
There was a moments pause, then Mar
Denzil asked:
"Does Capt Owen know who has bee
writing for YOUR
LA, no, ma'am," replied the girl "To
never told Jack you wrote for me, you r
member He thinks, most like, that its Mi
Lomsx, the rector's daughter, that writ.
'em; for she did say that she would; but 81
married and went away. Oh, please, na'an
-glancing timidly at the open letter in Il
| | young ladys band what do the lett.
sayT'
Miss Denzil who had been thinking for
minute or two, at once began TO read the lie
D ter. 1t was written by Jacks comrade, To
Andrews the writer explained, becau
!. Jack was badly wounded, and the capita
!, also But we viii give the sense, not t
T somewhat confused words of the epistle:
Il On the march, in one of the Mario
ravines of the Afghan hills, the reargual
u had been suddenly attacked one night by t
hillsrnen from an ambush But the enerI
+ was soon driven off-''of course wrote t
!. soldier. Unluckily, however, poor Jack f,
r at the beginning Of the attack, and his a
sence was not known for an hour or tw
Then, when his captain found that he W
missing, the young officer rode back alone
search of him: but he didn't bring the 20
chap in himself" wrote Tom. There W
!, Afghans abiding among the rocks, and o
on 'en took pot shot at the cap'en, a
A brought him down. Luckily a lot of our f
!, lows had followed him as soon pretty near
!, he'd started, and they brought in the two
'em all right
But Jack could not write yet he pl
! ceeded, land the cap'en was awful bad, a
:; we're all down about him." added Tom; "f
he's a man any one would die for"
II Mary Denzil's voice was scarcely steady
:, she read these words She had a quick ima
ination, and there rose before her me
"a tai picture of the lonely hill ride
n the moonlight, and the wounded m
+, left amidst the dead Afghans and Englis
and then the hurried tramp of horse, t
arrival of the brave officer to rescue
n man, and his falling moment afterward
A meath the shot Of the hidden assassin.
IN "Your Jacks captain is hero, Mary s
. said; "he deserves Victoria cross
But Mary was crying bitterly; her thougl
n were all with poor wounded Jack; she co,
n not spare as yet any admiration for his O
n Ger.
Mary Denzil did her best to console
" poor foster sister, representing to her Il
"a Parker was probably now quite well, a
AT that If be did not get strong soon he VOL
n, be invalided, and then that he need ne
leave her again.
U For we will buy him out" she promis
IA By degrees Mary was comforted and &C
posed, and then Miss Denzl questioned
more about the officer, whose courage q
nm humanity had charmed her. Mary had S,
him at Woolwich when his regiment had b,
IN quartered there, and she had first kno
ad Jack; and she said that he was grand 10
he ing" and that his name was Owen. All
men loved him, he was 30 good. A
It. Miss Denzil conjured up in her min
er eye a stately middle aged gentlem
to born ruler and great soldier: and
of must be confessed that she very of
Mt thought Of Capt. Owen from that time, 9
ar. was not little rejoiced when Jacks frie
Tom informed them that Jack was well 9
NO 'the cap'enn out of danger.
prro and Nv all MI